By Brooke Correll
The senior Western Albemarle High School Women’s Quad won the Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championship Regatta Saturday May 28 on Dillon Lake in Nashport, Ohio, capturing their third medal in as many weeks. The foursome of Emily Barlow, Carrie Smith, Emmy Thacker and Maggie Vidal also won the Virginia State Championship May 14 and silvered at the Stotesbury Cup May 21, the largest high school regatta and second largest regatta in the nation. The 2016 Stotesbury Cup Regatta drew more than 5600 athletes, in 984 boats, from 191 schools across the country.
The SRAA was formed to foster school rowing and to stage an annual regatta open to all schools of the world, the winner recognized as North American Champion. The first regatta was conducted in May of 1935 and has been held every year since.
WAHS Women’s Junior Quad, consisting of Jordan Neuman, Hannah Carter, Clare O’Connell and Leah Gillespie, brought home the Bronze Medal from a separate race in the same SRAA National Championship Regatta.
In June, team captain Barlow signed a national letter of intent to row at Division 1 Bucknell University.
